BRODHEAD — On Friday, Aug. 4, the Relay for Life of Green County invites the public to honor and remember loved ones and fight back for lifesaving change at the Jaycee Park in Brodhead.
Relay For Life of Green County’s event begins at 5 p.m., with an opening ceremony at 5:30 p.m. The theme is ‘Give Cancer the Boot.’ Cancer survivors and caregivers will take a celebratory first lap and the evening will end with a luminaria ceremony to remember those we’ve lost to cancer and celebrate all cancer survivors.
“The Relay For Life movement unites communities across the globe to celebrate people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and take action to finish the fight once and for all,” said Evelyn Crooks, a dedicated Relay For Life participant and cancer survivor. “Many participants are our family, friends, and neighbors who have faced cancer themselves. Each new team that registers, brings us one step closer to saving more lives.”
This year, Belleville resident Angie Edge is the Honorary Survivor.
Green County is home, and always has been
Angie grew up on her family’s dairy farm west of Monticello. One of five sisters. She attended UW-Madison and earned a degree in agriculture journalism. Soon after college, Angie joined the staff at Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin where she has worked for 23 years.
“I proudly work with many of the Green County cheesemakers,” she said. “I follow my passion for helping farmers.”
In 2000, she married Tim Edge and the couple has three children Kenna (19), Addison (16), and Evan (13).
Hearing the word cancer
On May 10, 2022, Angie went for her routine mammogram. As usual she thought it wouldn’t be a big deal.
“There isn’t a history of cancer in our family,” said Angie. “But this appointment was different, doctors found some abnormal calcifications.”
A week later there was a second mammogram and they found two spots that were BI-RADS: Overall: 4 — Suspicious.
“My Mom insisted on coming along to this appointment and I’ll be forever grateful that she was with me,” said Angie.
The next day Angie was scheduled for a biopsy and the waiting game began.
“I was on my way home from a work trip to Chicago at the National Restaurant Show when I got the phone call that I was dreading,” said Angie. “It was confirmed that I had two spots of ductal carcinoma (DCIS). Luckily, it was contained and at an early stage, but the word cancer terrified me.”
Their oldest daughter was graduating from Belleville High School in a few weeks, and the family was in the midst of planning her graduation party.
In July, a lumpectomy and reconstructive surgery followed. Doctors found more spots of DCIS. This led to a month of radiation treatments in September.
“One of the hardest parts of going through this was attending my kids’ events and continuing to work when I was trying to keep things together for myself and my family,” said Angie.
Throughout the appointments and treatments, Angie said that the staff at the UW Cancer Center and her primary care provider were wonderful.
“It’s been a long year with nearly 50 appointments, follow-ups, genetic testing, cancer psychology, oncology, etc.,” added Angie.
During all of this her family and friends were “simply amazing.”
“Everyone was so supportive,” said Angie. “Tim was my rock throughout this entire journey. My mom was always there for me, taking me to appointments and listening, and the rest of my family was always there for me along with friends and neighbors who called and brought food and care packages.”
By sharing her story and her cancer journey, Angie hopes that others go to the doctor regularly and schedule their mammograms and other screenings.
“I feel like I was one of the lucky ones because it was caught so early. Hopefully, by sharing my story, it will help someone else,” Angie said. “It was really helpful for me to learn from people that I knew had cancer and it’s helpful to know that you’re not alone.”
Advice for others
Angie said this journey has changed her forever.
“I’ve learned that you should be kind always because you never know what people are going through,” she said. “It’s also important to give yourself grace and know that’s it’s OK to not be OK.”
Her faith also played a key role.
“Besides the support from family and friends, the biggest thing that got me through my journey was praying and trusting in God.”
Ways to get involved
Join the Relay For Life of Green County — sign up to join an existing team or start a new team at relayforlife.org/greencountywi or by calling Jo Ann Steuri at 608-728-2980.
If unable to participate in this year’s event, you can still help save lives by making a donation. Every dollar helps the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer. Visit RelayForLife.org/Donate to donate.
The Relay For Life of Green County event is supported by many local businesses and organizations including: Bank of Brodhead, Ruda Chevrolet-Toyota, New Glarus Brewing Co., Speich Oil, Colony Brands, RM Concrete, Woodford State Bank, Turner Hall, Maple Lane Event Center, Trackside Mobil, Debbie Jean’s Framing and Whimsical Treasures, Bernadette Wong, and Brodhead Jaycee Park.
To learn more about Relay For Life in Green County, visit relayforlife.org/greencountywi or visit its Facebook page, Relay For Life of Green County Wisconsin.
